Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 127: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the means she has or will put in place to promote the planting of cover crops over winter to reduce nitrate losses and soil erosion. [12178/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The use of a winter cover crop is a desirable practice from an environmental and agronomic point of view and is to be encouraged. In some circumstances, a requirement already exists for farmers to ensure that cover crops are in place.

One of the conditions for receipt of the dingle farm payment is that the recipient must keep his or her land in good agricultural and environmental condition. This includes a requirement on the occupier of a holding to take all reasonable steps to ensure that soil is covered by vegetation or else ploughed to reduce soil erosion due to lack of ground cover. Unsown seedbeds are not permitted over the winter.

The nitrates regulations introduced by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government require that where arable land is ploughed or when a non-selective herbicide is applied to arable land or grassland between 1 July and 15 January, the occupier of the holding will take the necessary measures to provide for emergence of green cover from a sown crop within 6 weeks. Alternatively, natural regeneration may be used where a non-selective herbicide has been applied. The rural environment protection scheme includes an option designed to promote the establishment of green cover.

It is the responsibility of the occupier of a holding to ensure compliance with the provisions of the nitrates regulations, or with the conditions of any other scheme in which he or she may be a participant, in relation to that holding. Farmers may avail of professional advice from an agricultural adviser if they need it.